Collapsible book rack and divider therefor



G. R. EIDE 2,334,912 BOOK BACK AND DIVIDER THEREFOR Filed uct. 9, 1942 lftarnex Patented Nov. 23, 1943 COLLAPSIBLE BOOK BACK AND DIVIDER THEREFOR Guy R. Eide, Detroit, Mich.

Application October 9, 1942, Serial No. 461,434

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in collapsible book racks and dividers therefor. It is an object of the invention to provide a collapsible rack to support books, magazines, and the like, and a divider so mounted thereon that it may be adjusted to any desired position intermediately of the length of the rack to support the books or magazines in a substantially upright position when they only partially fill the rack.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible rack and divider combination wherein the divider is so mounted for sliding movement upon one portion of the rack that after it has been moved to its desired position between the rack ends it will remain stationary and cannot be moved by the weight of books or magazines bearing against one side thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a divider which in no wise interferes with the rapid assembling or disassembling of the rack, and which, in one preferred embodiment, is positively held against detachment from the rack after assembly of the latter.

While some of the objects and advantages of the invention have been briefly stated, others will become apparent as the specification proceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of the rack assembled and the divider thereon.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a slightly modified form of divider.

Figure 3 is a partially assembled perspective view of the rack showing the back with the divider thereon and one side detached.

Figure 4 is a detail of the divider shown in Figures l and 3, and

Figure 5 is a detail of the modified form of divider shown in Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, the rack consists of fiat pieces of material and includes a base I, two sides 2, a back 3 and a divider 4, or do. The attachment of the base I to the sides 2 is the same as that shown in my United States Patent No. 2,279,864, and consists of a slot 5 formed in the front margin of the base 1 adjacent each extremity, and the rear margin of the said base is shorter than the remainder thereof to form a forward and outward step 6 at each end. The sides 2 are substantially horizontally slotted at 1 intermediately of their length and toward their lower extremities. The front end of each slot 1 is first brought into engagement with one of the base slots 5 and then the rear extremities Of the sides 2 are pressed inwardly so that the rear ends of the slots 1 receive the steps 6.

Formed toward the rear of each side 2 from its upper margin is an open-ended vertical slot 8, and extending from the rear vertical edge of each side 2 intermediately of its height is an openended T-slot 9 the angular portion of which is downwardly directed in vertical alignment with the slot 8. Formed in the back 3 adjacent opposite ends and intermediately of its height are vertical slots l0 which are slightly longer than the distance between the tops of the sides 2 and the tops of their T-slots 9. After the sides 2 are in engagement with the base I the upper vertical portions II of the sides 2 above the tops of the T-slots 9 are inserted in the back slots I0, and the back is then moved downward to engage the slots 8 and the downward extremities of the T-slots 9 whereupon the rack is held a rigid unit.

Prior, however, to the assembly of the back 3 upon the sides 2 the divider 4 is mounted thereon. This divider is provided adjacent one vertical margin with an intermediate vertical slot l5 through which the back 3 extends, to permit its sliding adjustment along the said back when the rack is assembled. The divider [5 may then be set any desired distance from one of the sides 2 to support books or the like (not shown) resting upon the base I which only partially fill the rack, and hold them in a substantially vertical position. It will be noted that the vertical spacing between the bottom of the back 3 and the rear of the base I is such as to permit free movement of the divider 4, and owing to the fact that when disassembling the rack the back is raised relative to the base no considerable distance between the back and the base need be provided to afford the necessary movement for adjusting the position of the divider.

In Figures 2 and 5 a somewhat modified form of divider 4a is shown. In this instance the divider is provided with a vertical open-ended slot l5a extending from its lower margin to fit over and engage the upper margin of the back 3 along which it is slidable.

While in the foregoing the preferred mbodiments of the invention have been described and shown, it is understood that alterations and modfications may be made thereto provided they fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A rack of the character described including a base, sides mounted upon opposite extremities of the latter, and a back which is vertically slotted intermediately of its height adjacent its opposite ends, each of the sides having an open-ended slot extending vertically from its upper margin and a T-slot extending inwardly from its rear margin intermediately of the height of the latter, the angular portion of the T-slot projecting downwardly in vertical alignment with the openended slot, the rear margin of each side above the T-slot extending through one of the vertical back slots and the back being supported by the undersides of the angular portions of the T-slots and by the bases of the open-ended slots.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, incluc ing a slotted divider mounted upon the back for sliding movement therealong, said divider being disposed at right angles to said back and projecting over said base.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1, including a divider vertically slotted intermediately of its height, the back extending through said slot whereby the divider is disposed at right angles to said back over the base for adjustment along said back, the latter and the base being 'spaced to permit free adjustment of the divider.

GUY R. EIDE. 

